Members of the organised labour comprising both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Saturday, carpeted the 36 governors for saying they couldn’t afford N60,000 minimum wage.

The two labour leaders described the governors’ comment and actions towards the Nigerian workers as act of wickedness, while calling on them to have a rethink before “danger ahead explodes”.

Daily Trust reports that the governors through the Director Media and Public Affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Hajiya Halimah Salihu Ahmed, disclosed on Friday that they couldn’t afford N60,000 that was proposed by the federal government.

But reacting to the governors’ action, the organised labour, through the Head of Information and Public Affairs at the NLC headquarters, Benson Upah, wondered why governors forget that the price of fuel, dollar against Naira among other things have gone up astronomically.

“We are alarmed by the statement credited to the Nigeria Governors Forum that state governments cannot even afford to pay N60,000 as minimum wage as ‘a few states will end up borrowing to pay workers every month’.

“We do believe the governors have acted in bad faith. It is unheard of for such a statement be issued to the world in the middle of an ongoing negotiation. It is certainly in bad taste,” Upah said in a statement.

Speaking on the governors’ claim, the two labour centres said nothing can be further from the truth that FAAC allocations have since moved from “N700 billion to N1.2 trillion making the governments extremely rich at the expense of the people.”

According to them, “All that the governors need to do to be able to pay a reasonable national minimum wage (not even the N60,000) is cut on the high cost of governance, minimise corruption as well as prioritise the welfare of workers.

“It is important to explain here that a national minimum wage is not synonymous with the different pay structures of different states. The national minimum wage is the lowest floor below which no employer is allowed to pay.

“The aim is to protect the weak and the poor. We are not fixated with figures but value. Those who argue that moving the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N60,000 is sufficiently good enough miss the point.

“In 2019, when N30,000 became the minimum, N300 exchanged for $1 (effectively making the minimum wage an equivalent of $100 or thereabout) while inflation rate was 11.40.

“At the moment the exchange rate is at N1,600 to $1 while inflation hovers at 33.7% (40% for food). This puts the value of the minimum wage at $37.5 for a family of six. This is happening at a time costs of everything rose by more than 400% as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy.

“This is an extreme bad news for the poor. Government’s policies of fuel subsidy removal, mindless devaluation of the Naira, energy tariff hike by 250% and interest rate hike by 26.5% will continue to hurt the economy (especially manufacturing sector) and the poor.

“Already manifest is the mass incapacity of Nigerians leading to overflowing warehouses of the productive sector of the economy. The downward trend will continue except the capacity of workers and businesses is enhanced.

“Paying a miserable national minimum wage portends grave danger to not only the workforce but the national economy as in truth, economies of most states are driven by workers wages.

“In light of this, we urge the governors to do a re-think and save the country from a certain death.”

https://dailytrust.com/minimum-wage-labour-knocks-govs-for-rejecting-n60000/

Labour should not have called off the strike. Nigerian politicians are so heartless and wicked

Miserable governors that can budget 10b for their feeding only but they can't afford 60k for their workers

No gree for any miserable governors

What will 60k be able to purchase within a month for goodness sake?

What is important now is for labour to declare a potent indefinite nationwide strike.

The five days suspension ends tomorrow. Are we going on an indefinite strike or not?

NLC please be decisive.

Some governors are more problematic than federal government.

Some of them act as mini lord in their state


I still can't believe some governors were paying 18k as minimum wage until recently.

How much is Governor's salary?

I wanna see how Ajaero will declare a strike to cripple the activities of the 36 states, now that he could nolonger bark at the federal government. I dare Labour union to bite the state governors and tell them to stop cho cho cho and show workings, i want to check something.

-Kiss the truth!

Our governors are too wasteful and unpatriotic and they are the major problem not the federal government. That is how a governor went to spend about #20 billion on one valueless reconstruction and some even spend on unrealistic and valueless projects. They pay huge amount on their themselves and appointees.

No gree for anybody. At least 120k or shut down the economy like in 2011.

Not good enough....the governors need to do better

Strike should continue abeg...

I hope that propaganda Abia governor is not among those complaining? 😂 😂 😂 😂

Labour is not asking for the right thing at all. Let's assume they decide at 200k,organised private sector would increase prices of goods and services so as to be able to pay their workers the minimum wage.
Increase in minimum wage is good but labour should press more for reduction in fuel price,so we don't keep running in circles of prices of goods with poor income

NLC & TUC please what is our next plan? FG have priced N62,000.

By now, Abia should be paying the proposed 450k already. Afterall NLC = LP.

Obidents una go learn lesson by force.

Crooks that are stealing and embezzling billions refused to pay workers a decent minimum wage. Such a shame and disgrace

“It is important to explain here that a national minimum wage is not synonymous with the different pay structures of different states. The national minimum wage is the lowest floor below which no employer is allowed to pay."

The statement above is where I have big issues with the leadership of NLC and TUC...over these years, what exactly have they done to employers that have not been paying NGN 30,000

What have they done to stop loads of private schools to stop paying teachers nonsense money, as low as NGN 15,000

What have they done to stop State Government, Local government fron paying their staffs less than NGN 30,000

Nigeria's employees are not FGN workers only..the regular stylist in the saloon, helpers that sweep people's compounds, gateman, various artisans, sales girl/boy, drivers, cook e.t.c are also Labours...who will fight for them?

How will NLC/TUC ensure these set of people get whatever is agreed upon

These are the conversations NLC/TUC will need to address.

Any governor that says he can’t afford to pay minimum wage of 60k doesn’t want the good of the people in his state. Such governor should be thrown out.

tony0806:
What will 60k be able to purchase within a month for goodness sake?

how many Nigerians even have access to 60k a month? Many don't

Most governors are always problematic. That is why Nigeria has been like this.

Nigeria which way?

Our leaders are enriching themselves at our own expense.

Minimize the gigantic cost of governance in nigeria and see if the initial labor proposal for minimum wage won't be met.

No, na to have 200+ special advisors on education alone who are doing nothing than pay workers a tangible amount. Mxwwwww



#MyOpinion

spencekat:
Most governors are always problematic. That is why Nigeria has been like this.

Most states/companies in Nigeria are not viable and need to be shut down. Closed/merged with viable states.

Watinhapen:
Any governor that says he can’t afford to pay minimum wage of 60k doesn’t want the good of the people in his state. Such governor should be thrown out.

The state needs to be closed for business abeg! Nigerians should be sick and tired of funding companies that are barely able to make money or pay their workers. It is high time we rolled back the massive waste that is some states.

So much drama in the land

Any governor that can't pay the requested/required minimum wage should just kindly resign,no be by force to rule..

So the governor of my small state with huge allocation is also saying he can't pay?

I am talking of Bayelsa State
That cannot be true,
Let each governor speak for himself

As for me, I think NLC is not smart enough to get a good amount as the new minimum wage from the Government.

Propose to the Government the amount of 1 million as the new minimum wage, of course the Government will refuse such amount and then both parties can engage on pricing from the proposed amount to a meaningful amount. Let say if the Government price and price, last last they will at least settle somewhere around 100k, which will not be too bad.

snapshot:
So the governor of my small state with huge allocation is also saying he can't pay? I am talking of Bayelsa State That cannot be true, Let each governor speak for himself

Huge allocations propping it up yet the state remains among the poorest in terms of productivity. Can you imagine that nonsense?